Every shot you get must be
properly focused, which is crucial in any professional production. Soft focus shots, unless used for artistic effect, don't count as shots that are in focus.

To focus a telephoto lens you must calibrate it first

Look on the lens controls and slide the FOCUS switch to M for Manual (A would set the lens to Automatic Focus).

Zoom in all the way on your subject and focus by turning the focus ring on the lens. Then zoom out to compose your shot. Each time the camera gets moved you will need to calibrate the telephoto lens.

The large ring located on the lens is the Focus Ring. Turn this ring to focus the shot.

CAUTIONIn most situations, using the Automatic Focus is not recommended simply because the camera might shift the focus during recording, which could ruin the shot, especially if it’s an interview.

Getting the focus right means having to judge focus properly. You might think you can judge the focus using only the LCD monitor. But it’s actually impossible to rely on this 720p display to get true focus because this monitor doesn’t have enough pixels to render the image sharply. Focus errors are more obvious in high-definition, but fortunately there are ways to get the best focus possible.

EXPAND FOCUS ASSISTMagnifies the centre of an image to show you more detail than the full frame view. This assist is ideal for setting the focus before you start recording, but is not available during.

To use EXPAND FOCUS ASSIST, press the FOCUS ASSIST button. The central area of the screen is magnified. Use the arrow buttons to move the magnified area around the screen.

PEAKINGThis type of focus assist draws an outline around
objects that are in sharp focus. Peaking works during recording, but the red outline is not visible in playback. Used in
combination, the Peaking and Expand Focus Assist tools will help you achieve
the best focus results.

To use PEAKING, press the USER 1

button (usually assigned to the USER 1

button).

PUSH AUTO – pressing this button will

quickly adjust the focus on the subject

and upon release the camera returns to

manual focus. This particular assist

doesn’t guarantee precise focus because

it may lock on a part of the image that

you wouldn’t consider to be the most

important (e.g., an interview shot where

only the background is in sharp focus).

Therefore, the PUSH AUTO shouldn’t be

used as your primary focus assist.

VIEWFINDER EYEPIECEYou can optimise the focus better if you can see the image clearly
without interference from the lighting in the environment. Make sure to adjust
the eyepiece corrector lever to your eyesight first before you start focusing
the lens.